An Open Letter to Prince

Maybe I’m just venting but it is how I feel right now and have been for some time, so take it for what its worth


First of all, I just want to say that this letter is written out of shear love for what you do. I truly appreciate the amount of output simply because that’s what you’ve conditioned us(the fans, fams whatever you call us these days) to expect. But I just want to say that if this is where you want to be musically right now, meaning the type of output you feel like offering up, then I just have to say, “son, your losing it!”. Of course I don’t believe that, because with every composition you offer up there’s these flashes of brilliance sprinkled in. Hey, I’m no position to tell you how to make music and neither is anybody else, no matter who they are. I’m just a very passionate fan who feels as if you’re going through the motions simply to fulfill some sort of goal that’s focusing to much on quantity rather than quality, and if this is truly the best you can do and I‘m wrong, well there‘s always the live shows. And when I say quality, I’m talking about Prince standard quality. I mean I guess on the ONA tour when you got people thinking its better to be a follower than a leader you really believed that, because that’s what you sound like right now. I’m hearing more of everyone else and less Prince in each of your recent releases including Planet Earth. I guess its gotta suck when you set the bar so high it seems useless to try and exceed it, but I don’t think you have to exceed it, except your not even trying to come close to it. Your innovation today is inventing new ways to distribute music, and that’s great, but what about the MUSIC. I mean I’m not saying I don’t like the stuff, but its not completely PRINCE! I hear more of other people in your stuff than you. Your more influenced by everyone else, when you should be more influenced by YOU. You should take about a week to listen to nothing but Prince from 78-95 then emulate and create! Hey see what happens. I could point out some really cool stuff you’ve done recently, namely 3121 the song, Awesome! There’s other stuff too but its too few and far between. Again I’m talking by Prince standards, because if anyone else is putting this stuff out, its brilliant. You always said that when people tell you to play like you used to that your not there anymore, but I got to tell you, the jazz stuff was great when you did it on Sign ’o the Times, so why the constant rehash on it, why can’t you offer up some cold funk anymore? Your creativity always seemed like a relentless path of discovery, I mean no one could go in the different directions you went from 84-88 that was amazing. Even the progression from 80-83 was phenomenal. I don’t know, maybe your versatility is what’s hindering you. You can play everything, but you don’t know what to play. Musically you want to go everywhere but there’s no cohesion or discovery in that, so it sounds like your floating on a boat with no paddles to direct you. You seem almost hell-bent on creating a guitar playing image which is well and good but you sound more like other people (on record) than you. I don’t want to here U2 or anyone else on a Prince record, so please make some Prince records, they’re so much better than what you’re doing, I want to here where Prince is right now. Its funny, because you know hits and charts are irrelevant now, but you seem so concerned with making radio friendly music when now more than ever you should be tearing it up(not just on stage). Hey if you just want to be a live act then stop recording, you have enough great material to draw on. And give the cover songs a break man! YOUR BETTER THAN THAT! Make great interesting new music and you won’t have to play other peoples stuff! Stop holding back!! You now what to do, so DO IT! Get back to creating music that makes people go What THE F__K! I’m just a lover of your music, no I’m not a musician so if you want you can take solace in knowing I know nothing about the creative process, but believe it or not I know what great Prince record is. And know that this sentiment is not the only one among your fans. Remember one thing, you created this type of fan base. Right from the beginning you purposely went away from the safe bet to gain the type of following you have. Two words, “Dirty Mind”, that was step one and since then you’ve cultivated a very passionate fan base. But we wouldn’t have stuck around for this long if you were creating run of the mill music. I’m not trying to speak for anyone else but I know I’m far from the only one. This is not new. The last time I felt a sense of Prince getting somewhere was around 94-95 when you weren’t even called Prince. I saw you at the Palladium and it was sick! The music was amazing and there was a sense of discovery. Everyone knows that if Pussy Control wasn’t called Pussy Control it would have been a massive Hit. My only beef with the Gold experience was the version of Endorphin Machine you chose. I still love the song but I just can’t help but wonder if Will Ferrell was in the studio for that, “I need more cowbell!” After those years it seemed like every new Prince record was going to contain a cover song. Emancipation was a great 3 record set filled with good music. Thankfully Joint 2 Joint was a part of it. However, Crystal Ball reminded me of how amazing you could be and made me forget Emancipation. Outside of that my favorite song before the 90’s ended was the hidden track on Newpowersoul, Wasted Kisses.
I’m not going to go through every release but overall since 96 and the internet stuff, lets just say thank god for the live shows.
Before I end this letter I just want to reiterate the fact that your fan base was created because you challenged us with each new release, conditioning us to expect the unexpected, and something different. Well I have got to say I never expected you to be putting out such common material, but I’m sure that’s not what you were going for. I hope if you actually read this, you get where I’m coming from. In the meantime, I’ll be listening to some of your older work, you know, the stuff you said that when you made you were in the 3rd grade musically. Well that may be true but its much better that some of this PhD shit your putting out.
Peace! And for the love of God Be Wild!

Dear person who wrote this letter,
Get over it and lighten up...He's Prince and could do anything he wanna do...First and foremost, you are expecting such greatness from a mire human. You may not like it but he may love it as well as other people may love it or don't. You can't keep expecting more and more greatness than he already is...


just my opinion that's all

yeah I know, its just a whole bunch of wishful thinking i guess

loolam said:

Maybe I’m just venting but it is how I feel right now and have been for some time, so take it for what its worth


First of all, I just want to say that this letter is written out of shear love for what you do. I truly appreciate the amount of output simply because that’s what you’ve conditioned us(the fans, fams whatever you call us these days) to expect. But I just want to say that if this is where you want to be musically right now, meaning the type of output you feel like offering up, then I just have to say, “son, your losing it!”. Of course I don’t believe that, because with every composition you offer up there’s these flashes of brilliance sprinkled in. Hey, I’m no position to tell you how to make music and neither is anybody else, no matter who they are. I’m just a very passionate fan who feels as if you’re going through the motions simply to fulfill some sort of goal that’s focusing to much on quantity rather than quality, and if this is truly the best you can do and I‘m wrong, well there‘s always the live shows. And when I say quality, I’m talking about Prince standard quality. I mean I guess on the ONA tour when you got people thinking its better to be a follower than a leader you really believed that, because that’s what you sound like right now. I’m hearing more of everyone else and less Prince in each of your recent releases including Planet Earth. I guess its gotta suck when you set the bar so high it seems useless to try and exceed it, but I don’t think you have to exceed it, except your not even trying to come close to it. Your innovation today is inventing new ways to distribute music, and that’s great, but what about the MUSIC. I mean I’m not saying I don’t like the stuff, but its not completely PRINCE! I hear more of other people in your stuff than you. Your more influenced by everyone else, when you should be more influenced by YOU. You should take about a week to listen to nothing but Prince from 78-95 then emulate and create! Hey see what happens. I could point out some really cool stuff you’ve done recently, namely 3121 the song, Awesome! There’s other stuff too but its too few and far between. Again I’m talking by Prince standards, because if anyone else is putting this stuff out, its brilliant. You always said that when people tell you to play like you used to that your not there anymore, but I got to tell you, the jazz stuff was great when you did it on Sign ’o the Times, so why the constant rehash on it, why can’t you offer up some cold funk anymore? Your creativity always seemed like a relentless path of discovery, I mean no one could go in the different directions you went from 84-88 that was amazing. Even the progression from 80-83 was phenomenal. I don’t know, maybe your versatility is what’s hindering you. You can play everything, but you don’t know what to play. Musically you want to go everywhere but there’s no cohesion or discovery in that, so it sounds like your floating on a boat with no paddles to direct you. You seem almost hell-bent on creating a guitar playing image which is well and good but you sound more like other people (on record) than you. I don’t want to here U2 or anyone else on a Prince record, so please make some Prince records, they’re so much better than what you’re doing, I want to here where Prince is right now. Its funny, because you know hits and charts are irrelevant now, but you seem so concerned with making radio friendly music when now more than ever you should be tearing it up(not just on stage). Hey if you just want to be a live act then stop recording, you have enough great material to draw on. And give the cover songs a break man! YOUR BETTER THAN THAT! Make great interesting new music and you won’t have to play other peoples stuff! Stop holding back!! You now what to do, so DO IT! Get back to creating music that makes people go What THE F__K! I’m just a lover of your music, no I’m not a musician so if you want you can take solace in knowing I know nothing about the creative process, but believe it or not I know what great Prince record is. And know that this sentiment is not the only one among your fans. Remember one thing, you created this type of fan base. Right from the beginning you purposely went away from the safe bet to gain the type of following you have. Two words, “Dirty Mind”, that was step one and since then you’ve cultivated a very passionate fan base. But we wouldn’t have stuck around for this long if you were creating run of the mill music. I’m not trying to speak for anyone else but I know I’m far from the only one. This is not new. The last time I felt a sense of Prince getting somewhere was around 94-95 when you weren’t even called Prince. I saw you at the Palladium and it was sick! The music was amazing and there was a sense of discovery. Everyone knows that if Pussy Control wasn’t called Pussy Control it would have been a massive Hit. My only beef with the Gold experience was the version of Endorphin Machine you chose. I still love the song but I just can’t help but wonder if Will Ferrell was in the studio for that, “I need more cowbell!” After those years it seemed like every new Prince record was going to contain a cover song. Emancipation was a great 3 record set filled with good music. Thankfully Joint 2 Joint was a part of it. However, Crystal Ball reminded me of how amazing you could be and made me forget Emancipation. Outside of that my favorite song before the 90’s ended was the hidden track on Newpowersoul, Wasted Kisses.
I’m not going to go through every release but overall since 96 and the internet stuff, lets just say thank god for the live shows.
Before I end this letter I just want to reiterate the fact that your fan base was created because you challenged us with each new release, conditioning us to expect the unexpected, and something different. Well I have got to say I never expected you to be putting out such common material, but I’m sure that’s not what you were going for. I hope if you actually read this, you get where I’m coming from. In the meantime, I’ll be listening to some of your older work, you know, the stuff you said that when you made you were in the 3rd grade musically. Well that may be true but its much better that some of this PhD shit your putting out.
Peace! And for the love of God Be Wild!

another person who is pining for his/her youth...its not really about the music...prince still makes great music...maybe not groundbreaking but still of a high standard...you will never get the 80s back because he isnt the same person he was then and neither are you....

Paragraph breaks are good. Use them.

Prince, if you're out there, I want that oufit where you're in flip flops.
I think it'll fit me. Love, xplnyrslf.

blackbob said:

blackbob said:

Genesia said:

xplnyrslf said:

here we go....

I bet this guys got a mullet and wears leg warmers...

PurpleHippyUK said:

blackbob said:

loolam said:

loolam said:

I love how you mentioned the cowbell in Endorphin Machine right in the middle of all that ranting!

Besides that, same as always. Lighten up.


Just one more thing - to still demand of Prince to be "groundbreaking" in any way, is just totally unrealistic. In fact, I think that he always just did what he wanted and was "groundbreaking" rather by accident than deliberately.



And you know, Prince is Prince because he just does what he wants. Back then and now.
[Edited 7/18/07 15:45pm]

loolam said:

Maybe I’m just venting but it is how I feel right now and have been for some time, so take it for what its worth


First of all, I just want to say that this letter is written out of shear love for what you do. I truly appreciate the amount of output simply because that’s what you’ve conditioned us(the fans, fams whatever you call us these days) to expect. But I just want to say that if this is where you want to be musically right now, meaning the type of output you feel like offering up, then I just have to say, “son, your losing it!”. Of course I don’t believe that, because with every composition you offer up there’s these flashes of brilliance sprinkled in. Hey, I’m no position to tell you how to make music and neither is anybody else, no matter who they are. I’m just a very passionate fan who feels as if you’re going through the motions simply to fulfill some sort of goal that’s focusing to much on quantity rather than quality, and if this is truly the best you can do and I‘m wrong, well there‘s always the live shows. And when I say quality, I’m talking about Prince standard quality. I mean I guess on the ONA tour when you got people thinking its better to be a follower than a leader you really believed that, because that’s what you sound like right now. I’m hearing more of everyone else and less Prince in each of your recent releases including Planet Earth. I guess its gotta suck when you set the bar so high it seems useless to try and exceed it, but I don’t think you have to exceed it, except your not even trying to come close to it. Your innovation today is inventing new ways to distribute music, and that’s great, but what about the MUSIC. I mean I’m not saying I don’t like the stuff, but its not completely PRINCE! I hear more of other people in your stuff than you. Your more influenced by everyone else, when you should be more influenced by YOU. You should take about a week to listen to nothing but Prince from 78-95 then emulate and create! Hey see what happens. I could point out some really cool stuff you’ve done recently, namely 3121 the song, Awesome! There’s other stuff too but its too few and far between. Again I’m talking by Prince standards, because if anyone else is putting this stuff out, its brilliant. You always said that when people tell you to play like you used to that your not there anymore, but I got to tell you, the jazz stuff was great when you did it on Sign ’o the Times, so why the constant rehash on it, why can’t you offer up some cold funk anymore? Your creativity always seemed like a relentless path of discovery, I mean no one could go in the different directions you went from 84-88 that was amazing. Even the progression from 80-83 was phenomenal. I don’t know, maybe your versatility is what’s hindering you. You can play everything, but you don’t know what to play. Musically you want to go everywhere but there’s no cohesion or discovery in that, so it sounds like your floating on a boat with no paddles to direct you. You seem almost hell-bent on creating a guitar playing image which is well and good but you sound more like other people (on record) than you. I don’t want to here U2 or anyone else on a Prince record, so please make some Prince records, they’re so much better than what you’re doing, I want to here where Prince is right now. Its funny, because you know hits and charts are irrelevant now, but you seem so concerned with making radio friendly music when now more than ever you should be tearing it up(not just on stage). Hey if you just want to be a live act then stop recording, you have enough great material to draw on. And give the cover songs a break man! YOUR BETTER THAN THAT! Make great interesting new music and you won’t have to play other peoples stuff! Stop holding back!! You now what to do, so DO IT! Get back to creating music that makes people go What THE F__K! I’m just a lover of your music, no I’m not a musician so if you want you can take solace in knowing I know nothing about the creative process, but believe it or not I know what great Prince record is. And know that this sentiment is not the only one among your fans. Remember one thing, you created this type of fan base. Right from the beginning you purposely went away from the safe bet to gain the type of following you have. Two words, “Dirty Mind”, that was step one and since then you’ve cultivated a very passionate fan base. But we wouldn’t have stuck around for this long if you were creating run of the mill music. I’m not trying to speak for anyone else but I know I’m far from the only one. This is not new. The last time I felt a sense of Prince getting somewhere was around 94-95 when you weren’t even called Prince. I saw you at the Palladium and it was sick! The music was amazing and there was a sense of discovery. Everyone knows that if Pussy Control wasn’t called Pussy Control it would have been a massive Hit. My only beef with the Gold experience was the version of Endorphin Machine you chose. I still love the song but I just can’t help but wonder if Will Ferrell was in the studio for that, “I need more cowbell!” After those years it seemed like every new Prince record was going to contain a cover song. Emancipation was a great 3 record set filled with good music. Thankfully Joint 2 Joint was a part of it. However, Crystal Ball reminded me of how amazing you could be and made me forget Emancipation. Outside of that my favorite song before the 90’s ended was the hidden track on Newpowersoul, Wasted Kisses.
I’m not going to go through every release but overall since 96 and the internet stuff, lets just say thank god for the live shows.
Before I end this letter I just want to reiterate the fact that your fan base was created because you challenged us with each new release, conditioning us to expect the unexpected, and something different. Well I have got to say I never expected you to be putting out such common material, but I’m sure that’s not what you were going for. I hope if you actually read this, you get where I’m coming from. In the meantime, I’ll be listening to some of your older work, you know, the stuff you said that when you made you were in the 3rd grade musically. Well that may be true but its much better that some of this PhD shit your putting out.
Peace! And for the love of God Be Wild!

an open letter to fans who write open letters,

lighten' up. the music he puts out now/today is still himself, just on a different road that requires you to look and enjoy in a new way. you'll probably add planet earth to this list ten years down the line when he's putting out more music, and saying he lost that "prince essence" he had in 2007.

blackbob said:

loolam said:

dude I'm not pining for my youth just more effort, man I knew I'd get beat up but wow nobody is even close to getting it. Sorry everyone

.
he still makes challenging music....what about 'the rainbow children' ?...a jw jazz fusion album...can you see any other major artist putting out something like that ??..its not my favourite but i respect him for doing it and trying something different and completely out the mainstream..what about n.e.w.s...another jazz funk album recorded very quickly...not everybody's cup of tea but i enjoyed listening to it and it makes him more interesting to me...
.
prince at the moment is going through another commercial phase of his career where he wants to be in the public eye again after a number of years when he wasnt and i have no problem with that...he is an artist and he goes wherever he wants to with his career....no doubt he will go back to releasing music which isnt commercial and thats great as well and i look forward to that.....
.....i love the new album because he writes great pop songs ...he is a fasinating artist to follow and so talented that its ridiculous...hang on for the ride...there is a long way to go ....
[Edited 7/18/07 15:30pm]

If Prince was your typical "lead singer", and he went through different bands, he wouldn't get as much criticism.

Example: Paul McCartney. After the Beatles (which one could compare to Prince's 82-88 era), no one thought Paul could make it without John.

Well, he formed Wings, and he faltered a bit before having a string of hits and top albums. He eventually put out a bunch of substandard albums in the 80s and early 90s. He's back now in top form.

My point: Paul was still the same guy who basically was 1/2 of the Beatles - how do you top that? Do you even try, or do you just do what you want to do?

That's what Prince is doing - what he wants to do. His 82-88 era is untouchable, and his 92-95 era is equally as impressive (but different). He's done it all, and done it well.

To think that EVERY release is going to top the last is not realistic. Just enjoy what he does, and if you need to go back to the classics, that's what they're there for!

Why oh why are some people so Stupid?

Damn! I'm tired of coming into these threads with these long ass essays. Short and sweet people, or short and sour which ever way rocks your boat . As long as it's short!

I can't dig front stabbing!

machinegun said:

xplnyrslf said:

Prince, if you're out there, I want that oufit where you're in flip flops.
I think it'll fit me. Love, xplnyrslf.

i dunno why somebody didnt post this earlier (i was waiting for it)..

"More boolshit" Banner

© Sevennynine Studios

machinegun said:

Genesia said:

One minute they want peace……

Then do everything to make it go away.

wow dude are u crazy? Honest question because what u wrote makes no logical sense.Its the equivalent of meeting someone from high school when you are in your 40s and they are going on and on about what u were like in school. U would be like "what the fuck?"

No human being likes to wallow in their own past. if they do its a sure sign of unhappyness. Prince is moving into his future and seems excited about it. There is no need for u to shit on his life because YOU ARE DISSATISFIED. That is your PROBLEM not Prince's. Lead your own life and if Prince's music doesn't move u then that's the breaks. U really sound like an idiot surely u have enough life experience to realize that. I understand if you are under 23 or so but if u are older u have a lot of growing up to do.

1) i respect 'an open letter' from any Fan to an Artist.
the Org is a very appropriate place to put such a letter to P,
regardless of any flack or ridicule you might receive from other Fans here.

2) i kind of agree w/both your sentiment and others simultaneously.
P has always been a leader musically, artistically and entrepreneurially.

in the 80's the excitement was so great because there was so much ground to be broken . . .
tearing down the walls of society's uptightness around sexuality & gender, for example.

3) in my experience as a (visual) artist, my earlier creations often came
w/an energy of breakthrough and a desire to "shock."
but as my work developed and i "aged," i tired of "shock" being the goal/outcome of the work.
i began to more highly value creating art w/a sense of longevity in its message or workmanship or whatever.

for what it's worth, i'm NOT digging Side 2 of PE.
for what it's worth, i'm in AWE of Side 1 of PE.

i think PE, the title track, is a friggin' masterpiece of writing.
i hear P experimenting on PE vocally w/Guitar.
i hear P experimenting w/old folks music w/Somewhere Here on Earth.
i think FBM is fantabulamastic P at his soulful, romantic best.
and the 1 U Wanna C just plain makes me Happy down to my Toes.

thank you loolam for sharing your thoughts, ideas & feelings, SINCERELY.